Sharkskin Legacy
by M3RC3R
Summary: Naruto is betrayed by his comrade and abandon's his so called home. Along the way he meets an old friend and a new acquaintance who are willing to train him and help him achieve his vengeance. He trains hard, finds a new home, and maybe something more. NaruYugiFuHina. Strong, smartish, Samehada wielding Naruto, plus a surprise later on. Somewhat friendlier kyuubi. Sasuke bashing.
1. Chapter 1

**Sharkskin Legacy**

 **Hey guys I'm back with my first ever Naruto fanfic. I know I've been off the grid for a while. Well the first week, I was just taking a break, the second week I got a new game and last week I got on my Naruto kick so I'll be focusing on this for a while. I apologize to all of my Fairy Tail fans. This fanfic is NaruYugi, it's not my favorite pairing but it is up there on my list. Anyways without further ado. I OWN NOTHING!**

 **Prologue: Betrayal**

On a mission to the Land of Waves, Team 7 found themselves in an unusual predicament. What was supposed to be a simple C-Rank escort mission quickly spiraled into an unforgiving situation that the fresh genin were not prepared for. After encountering and supposedly being rid of Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Bloody Mist, the team quickly discovered that Zabuza was still alive and that the hunter-nin that 'killed' him was actually his accomplice. After some extra training with their recovering sensei, the team found themselves on the half constructed bridge, once again fighting for their lives against Zabuza and the 'hunter-nin'.

"What the hell are we gonna do to get out of here teme!?" Naruto shouted as he and Sasuke were trapped in a dome of ice mirrors and dodging senbons like there was no tomorrow.

"Shut up dobe. I am an elite. I don't need yours or anybody else's help." Sasuke snapped back at him.

"Dammit Sasuke! If we don't work together on this, we're both gonna die here!" Naruto growled, his patience for his arrogant teammate quickly growing thin.

Thanks to his newly awakened Sharingan, Sasuke saw a particularly large flurry of needles flying towards him. With no room to dodge, he came up with a new plan. "Fine, you want teamwork? Make yourself useful!" He reached behind himself and grabbed Naruto's collar.

"Wha-." Before Naruto could question Sasuke he was grabbed by the back of his shirt and dragged in between Sasuke and a large flurry of senbon.

.

.

.

Pain. Pain was all that was registered as Naruto found himself being used as a human shield by his so called comrade and a human pincushion by his enemy. As he collapsed into a heap, he could feel that his lungs had been punctured as well as several arteries. He was hemorrhaging internally at an alarming rate and his vision was fading as he barely noticed Sasuke taking advantage of and dispatching the 'hunter-nin' who was stunned by his blatant act of betrayal.

"Sasuke . . . you bastard." Naruto choked out before he started coughing up blood.

"Hn. Like anyone's gonna miss you. I've seen how everyone in the village looks at you. If anything, I just did you a favor. When I tell everyone how you threw yourself in front of me and sacrificed your life for my own, you'll be remembered as a hero." Sasuke commented with an arrogant smirk.

That smirk was the last thing that Naruto saw before he blacked out.

*Drip*

*Drip*

 _Aww man. What happened? And where am I?_ Naruto stood up and found himself in what appeared to be a dimly lit sewer. "Well no point in standing around. Might as well look for a way out." Naruto mused to himself.

He started down the only path in sight for a while. _Jeez how long is this stupid tunnel._ After what felt like an eternity of walking the path opened up into a large room with a massive cell at the far end of it. Looking between the bars, the darkness seemed to stretch on forever. "What the heck is this place?"

Out of the darkness, two blood red eyes with slit pupils appeared. " **Well well well, it seems my warden has finally graced me with his presence. To what do I owe this pleasure?** " A deep demonic voice called out from the darkness.

Naruto, surprisingly didn't even flinch. "You said warden. So that means you're the Kyuubi aren't you?"

" **You're not scared? Interesting. Do you know why you're hear?** " He asked, somewhat amused as he exposed the rest of his massive form to the light.

"Not a clue. I was hoping you could fill me in on that." Naruto responded with a nonchalant shrug.

" **You died. Well almost. After that bastard spawn of the Uchiha clan used you as a meat shield you passed out and your mind brought you hear while I heal your body.** "

The memories of Sasuke's actions flooded back to Naruto as he was filled with rage. "THAT BASTARD! I'll kill him when I get out of here!" He roared.

" **Hmm, I like your anger, your rage. It calls out to me. That is how you draw on my chakra. However, you must also know how to control your fury. Never allow it to control you lest the seal that keeps me here be broken.** "

Naruto was struck with confusion at this statement. "Wait, what? Why are you telling me how to keep you in here? I figured you would try to trick me into letting you out. That's what you want isn't it?"

" **No, not anymore. The world outside is no friend to a being such as myself. Humans only seek to capture us and use my brethren and myself as weapons and symbols of power. Besides, the sealing and unsealing process is excruciatingly painful. Imagine having your entire body crammed through the eye of a needle while remaining alive and conscious through the ordeal. It's not fun.** " He finished with a grimace.

"Yikes, that sucks but thank you for helping me. It's nice having someone looking out for me for me for once, even if it is for their own reasons. So uh . . . why does it look like a sewer in here?" Naruto asked, trying to change the subject to something less heavy.

" **How should I know? It's your mindscape, I'm sure there's a mind in the gutter joke somewhere around here. If you want to change it than just imagine it.** "

"Hey! I happen to hate perverts thank you very much." Naruto announced indignantly before attempting to change their environment. The dark sewer shattered away revealing a lush forested mountainside with trees, streams, and rock formations. The bars of the Kyuubi's cage twisted and contorted to form a metal band that secured itself around one of his tails along with the seal.

" **Yes I know. I've sifted through your thoughts and memories occasionally and it's dreadfully boring. I swear not even any healthy curiosity. Thank you for the change of scenery and getting me out of the cell by the way. Though I must ask. You act less intelligent around others than you truly are as well as hide your true skill. And that crush you have on the little pink screecher is false. Why?** "

"Simple. A ninja's greatest tool is deception. If people think I'm a talentless idiot they underestimate me and they slip up. Honestly, I'm the son of the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero, I have some big names to live up to and I'm not gonna do that by actually being an idiot. Crushing on Sakura-san just solidified the idea that I was one. I was gonna start showing my true strength after I became a chunin. Besides, none of the girls from my time at the academy really interested me. Hinata-chan was better than most of them but she was to shy and timid. I like a girl with a little fire and one who takes being a kunoichi seriously." He answered honestly.

" **I see, interesting. So you already know who your parents were. I can't say I'm surprised, you'd have to be blind to not see the resemblance between you and your father and there have only ever been two other Uzumakis that have lived in Konoha. And one of them was dead before you were even conceived. It's safe to say it wouldn't take much digging to find the identity of your mother. I swear your village is either inhabited by the blind or the stupid.** "

"Yea I bet if people knew they'd probably kiss my ass more than the teme. Speaking of him when can I leave to beat that piece of shit to death?" Naruto asked, his anger flaring again.

" **Your wounds are almost finished healing. You can leave whenever you choose. However, I ask that before you go that grant me one favor.** "

"Sure what do you want?"

The Kyuubi moved his tail with the seal on it in front of Naruto. " **I ask that you allow me to establish a mental link between the two of us. That way I can observe the outside world through your senses as well as communicate with you without you having to come in here and leave your body vulnerable. Also by establishing the link you will gain a heightened sense of smell and increased hearing. All you must do is remove a small piece of the seal. In doing so, my chakra will slowly seep into your own chakra network. This will also help to acclimate your body to the malevolent and poisonous nature of my chakra and over time, grant you the ability to draw on more of my power at a time without harming yourself. As you are now, you can handle up to two tails worth of my power safely, thanks to your heritage.** " The fox explained.

"Why are willing to do all of this for me?" Naruto asked, awestruck by the Kyuubi's apparent generosity.

" **Simple. You are my container. I you die than so do I. Of course I will reform in a few decades but then I would be right back to square one, constantly running from power hungry fools.** **If keeping you alive means working together than I'd gladly do it to spare myself that fate.** "

"Whatever floats your boat, buddy. Sure, I'll do it." Naruto grabs the corner of the seal and tears off a small piece. "There you go Kyuubi, I guess this makes us partners now." He stated with a foxy grin.

" **Kurama. My name is Kurama, and if we're going to be partners than you better start using it.** " Kurama proclaimed with a grin of his own.

Naruto didn't respond, he simply gave the giant fox a thumbs up as he faded back to the land of the living.

(Land of the Living)

Naruto felt groggy, nauseous, and incredibly sore as he slowly regained his senses. He could hear the familiar voices of his team. "Kakashi-sensei, he's waking up. Naruto's alive." _That sounds like Sakura-san._ "Well well well, seems you're more durable than you look, Naruto." _Kakashi-sensei._ "Hn. What do you know? You survived after all. Thanks for the save by the way." At that comment Naruto's eyes shot open, blood red. "SASUKE!" He roared as he jumped to his feet. As soon as he saw his bastard of a teammate, he grabbed Sasuke by the throat and effortlessly lifted him off his feet.

"You got a lot of nerve trying to act all buddy buddy with me after what you did you son of a bitch." Naruto growled. Sakura was cowering in fear from the sheer force of Naruto's killing intent, and it wasn't even aimed at her. Kakashi was faring better but he could still feel a bead of sweat rolling down his neck.

Kakashi recovered first and just barely managed to remove Sasuke from Naruto's death grip. "Naruto, what's going on? What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked, genuinely confused by Naruto's aggression towards Sasuke.

Naruto turned his blood red gaze to his sensei as Sasuke struggled to regain his breath. "This bastard used me as a fucking meat shield, and now he's gonna pay; that's what's going on!" Naruto growled.

"What are you talking about *cough* dobe. You jumped in front of those senbon to protect me. You saved my life. *Cough* *Cough*." Sasuke choked out, putting on a believable act.

"Keep lying and I'll rip out those damn eyes you're so proud of!" Naruto snarled.

"Ok, let's all just calm down. I think I know what's going on here. Naruto I get that you and Sasuke don't exactly care for each other but what you did was extremely brave. There's no reason to be embarrassed about saving him. In the heat of the moment, you saw that your comrade was in trouble and you risked your life to protect him. And for that, I am extremely proud of you Naruto." Kakashi stated, hoping the praise would help Naruto get over his ego and calm down. Or at least, that's what he thought he was doing.

Naruto stared at his sensei at a complete loss for words. _This scarecrow thinks I'm acting like this because of a bruised ego. Everyone always takes that teme's side._ _ **'Well then why do you stay?'**_ _Kurama? What do you mean?_ _ **'I mean why stay in a village that treats you like dirt. Why work with people who don't even have the decency to acknowledge your side of the story? If I were in your shoes, I would leave without hesitation. And at the very least look for someplace that will accept you. Then begin planning revenge.'**_ _I don't know about revenge. But maybe you're right. Maybe I should just leave. It's not like anyone will miss me. But where will I go? If I leave, I become a missing-nin and Konoha hunts me down._ _ **'Hmm I sense two large chakra signatures nearby. One of them is remarkably similar to the Uchiha brat's. The other is extraordinarily large. The signature is almost the size of a tailed beast's. I don't sense any ill intent from them at the moment, though that doesn't mean much. But if you can reach them, you might be able to convince them to assist you. It's a long shot, I know. But it's your best bet at finding a long term solution to your problems at the moment.'**_ _You're probably right. If I just made a break for it, they'd catch up to me eventually then I'd be executed for treason or at the very least imprisoned until they need you for something. Ok just point me in the right direction and I'll create a diversion._ _ **'Ten kilometers to the southwest, moving slow. If their course alters, I'll let you know.**_

"So that's it huh? I'm not even surprised anymore. Why should you believe me when your precious Uchiha says otherwise? Well you know what, you can go to hell for all I care, every last damn one of you. I'm done, I'm done with this mission, I'm done with Team 7," Naruto reached behind his head to untie his headband and throw it away, "and I'm done with Konoha. If my own teammate is willing to use me as a decoy and a human shield than what hope do I have that the rest of the village will get any better? Tell Jiji I said thanks for everything but I can't do this anymore." Naruto announced resolutely.

Kakashi was stunned. He had no idea how to react to Naruto's declaration and even began considering that maybe there was some truth to his side of the story but unfortunately he didn't have the time to think about it.

"Before I go, I do have one last thing to do." Naruto announced with a feral grin. With a burst of speed that none of them knew he was capable of, Naruto cleared the distance between him and Sasuke with his fist cocked back before delivering a crushing haymaker to the side of Sasuke's face, relishing in the popping sound of Sasuke's jaw dislocating before Sasuke was sent flying over the side of the bridge.

Kakashi and Sakura took their eyes off of Naruto and watched as Sasuke soared through the air before plummeting into the still waters below. Sakura immediately jumped in after Sasuke to make sure he was ok while Kakashi turned his gaze back on Naruto.

"Naruto, if you're going to do this you better make damn well sure you know the consequences of your actions." Kakashi said as he slipped in to a fighting stance and pulled a kunai from his pouch.

"You didn't notice Kakashi-san? I've already done it." Naruto replied smugly before disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"A shadow clone!? But when did he have time to make the switch!?" Kakashi thought out loud as looked around frantically for any trace of the boy, finding nothing. _Of course, he's been outrunning Anbu for years now, it's no wonder he knows how to cover his tracks. He must have switched with the shadow clone while we were watching Sasuke. Dammit, I can't follow him now because we have to stay here until the bridge is complete. By the time that's done he'll be long gone. I guess we'll just have to finish the mission and see what Lord Hokage wants to do about this._

(With Naruto)

Naruto was bolting through the trees at top speed towards the two chakra signatures that Kurama sensed. As he finally arrived at their location, he found two men wearing black cloaks with a red cloud pattern. One was really tall with pale blue skin, creepy white eyes, and dark blue hair with some kind of strange zanbato on his back wrapped in bandage. The other was someone Naruto never thought he would see again. He had long dark hair tied into a ponytail with bangs framing his face, onyx black eyes, and deep tear-troughs on his face. This man was Itachi Uchiha. The man responsible for the genocide of his entire clan sans himself and his little brother. He was also assigned to protect Naruto when he was first kicked out of the orphanage. Itachi did a good job of keeping Naruto safe until he had to leave due to the massacre. Of course he explained why he did what he did to Naruto before he left and asked him to look out for Sasuke for him in his stead. A promise Naruto did his best to keep until now.

Naruto jumped down from the trees and landed in front of the two missing-nin. "Hey Itachi, long time no see." He said, with a playful smirk.

To say Itachi was caught off guard was an understatement. Itachi was completely baffled at the blonde before him. "N-Naruto-kun? What are you doing here!?" He asked losing all semblance of self-control in his confusion.

"Itachi-san, is the Kyuubi brat here a friend of yours?" The tall man asked with a vicious grin . . . or was it mocking grin, friendly? It's hard to tell with this dude.

"Wait, how did you know that shark face?" Naruto asked.

"Our organization keeps track of all the jinchuuriki. Or at least, we were members of the organization until tall dark and gloomy over here decided that we quit, something about how the jinchuuriki already have it hard and refusing to add to their pain or something along those lines. By the way, my name is Kisame Hoshigaki, not shark face. Call me that again and I'll feed you to Samehada." Kisame retorted with what was definitely a vicious grin.

"H-hai." Naruto stammered while sweating bullets.

Itachi, having regained his composure decided to get to the bottom of this situation. "Naruto-kun, what are you doing here . . . and where is your headband?" He asked, a slight scowl on his typically stoic face.

Naruto nervously rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I might've . . . sorta . . . you know . . . abandoned Konoha." He finished quietly.

Internally, Itachi was fuming at Naruto's insubordination and going AWOL, though his features remained unnervingly calm. "You made me a promise Naruto-kun. How are you supposed to keep my brother on the right track if you're not there?" He questioned sternly.

Naruto's demeanor shifted from nervous to livid at the mention of Sasuke. "To hell with your damn brother. That little shit's a lost cause. You should just be happy I didn't jam a kunai in his gut instead of just decking him like I did before I left." Naruto spat.

Itachi was shocked and worried by what his brother could have done to warrant such hostility from the young Uzumaki. "What did Sasuke do Naruto-kun?" He asked warily, not entirely sure he wanted to know just how far his brother has fallen.

"Oh you know nothing major . . . JUST USING ME AS A FUCKING HUMAN SHIELD TO SAVE HIS OWN SKIN!" Naruto roared as his eyes turned red. "Then he left me to die. If it wasn't for Kurama, I wouldn't be here right now. How's that for irony? The reason that everyone hates me is one of the few people that actually give a damn about my life." Naruto chuckled bitterly.

Itachi was torn between shame and regret at hearing his brother's actions. He knew the massacre would affect Sasuke but to have fallen this far. Konoha's very foundation was based on the virtues of teamwork and camaraderie. "It appears that the Uchiha clan is truly irredeemable. Naruto-kun, I have one last request for you." He stated solemnly.

"What is it?" Naruto asked cautiously, unsure of how he felt about the direction of the conversation.

"I want you to kill Sasuke." He announced with as much conviction as one could when asking someone to kill the only family you have left.

Naruto was stunned. Itachi had just asked him to kill Sasuke. Not that he wouldn't love the chance to but there were some complications to that plan. " . . . Fine, but I have a request of my own." He replied, his eyes flashing red with a mischievous glint for a second.

"What is it?"

"I want you to train me, both of you."

"What?"

"I said I want you both to train me. If I'm gonna kill Sasuke-teme, then I'm getting my own payback too. And that payback will be in the form of me beating him into the dirt." Naruto claimed with a vicious grin.

Itachi pondered this for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Then we will train you." He stated confidently.

"I'm sorry but did you say 'we'?" Kisame asked, not liking the idea of training the orange runt after resolving to shoot down his request.

"Yes I did. Is there a problem?" Itachi asked calmly, leveling a glare at the swordsman.

"*sigh* No, no problem at all." He responded complacently.

"Alright! I'm getting trained by two super strong shinobi!" Naruto shouted pumping his fist in the air, completely excited that two S-Class shinobi were willing to train him.

"Yes. Let's see. You have two years before you're eligible to compete in the chunin exams. That gives us eighteen months to train you and another six to find a new village for you to join and make enough of a name for yourself to be nominated for the chunin exams."

"Huh? Why a new village? Why the chunin exams?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Simple. During the chunin exams, killing isn't encouraged but it's not against the rules. Plus it gives you the perfect opportunity to get close to Sasuke, unimpeded. As far as finding a new village, how else are you supposed to compete in the exams? Plus this way you won't have to spend the rest of your life on the run as a missing-nin." Itachi explained logically. He wanted Naruto to be able to do this for him with as little backlash as possible.

Naruto thought about it for a moment before concluding that it was the best course of action. "Alright, when do we get started?"

(Back in Konoha 2 Weeks Later)

"So what should we do about Naruto, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked nervously. He knew how close the two of them were.

"You said your ninja hounds spotted him training with Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki, correct?"

"Yes, Pakkun reported that the two of them seemed to hold no ill intentions for Naruto. He also heard them mention something about joining a new village when their training concluded as well as competing in the chunin exams." Kakashi reported gravely.

Hiruzen's eyes shot open in shock upon hearing that. "Training with two of the most dangerous men on the continent in preparation for the chunin exams. If that is true then I fear we have lost Naruto-kun for good. Tell me are we able to open up an investigation to ascertain the legitimacy of Naruto-kun's claims of Sasuke's betrayal?" He asked seriously, despising the idea that one so young could be capable of something so despicable.

Kakashi just shook his head. "I'm sorry but there's just not enough to go on to open up a formal investigation. The only possible witness was the enemy shinobi they were fighting and his corpse has already been disposed of. We can't say that Sasuke might have killed him to keep him quiet because it was a hostile combat situation. Plus we can't justify a memory scan on Sasuke without probable cause in case he's telling the truth. The political repercussions would be disastrous." Kakashi sighed, their hands were completely tied.

 _Dammit Naruto-kun, you better know what you're doing. I only hope that you return to us one day._


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys I'm back with the first chapter of Sharkskin Legacy. I don't really have anything to say other than mild Cee bashing ahead, I need someone who's ass Naruto could kick and Cee looks like the type of guy that could be an obnoxious ass. Also, a quick shout out to Gold Testament for the PM he sent me. I enjoyed that. Anyways remember reviews and PM's are always welcome and as always, I OWN NOTHING!**

 **Chapter 1: Arrival**

(Time Skip: 21 Months)

It was a normal day in the village of Kumo. Actually, it wasn't normal. It was much more peaceful than usual. The reason being that Killer Bee, brother of the Fourth Raikage and jinchuuriki to the Hachibi, was away on a mission so he wasn't around to drive his brother up the wall, or through it, in a fit of rage with his irritating rapping. So for fifteen year old and resident genin, soon to be chunin after the upcoming exams, Yugito Nii, that meant she had a nice relaxing day off without her sensei around. She walked through the village, exchanging pleasantries with the occasional passerby and thanking Kami that Kumo treated their jinchuuriki with some respect, and made her way to the front gate on the way to her favorite training ground. And she would have made it there too if she didn't notice the commotion with the gate guards regarding a lone figure that she had never seen before.

(With Naruto)

"Look, I just want to talk to the Raikage." Naruto stated, trying to sound calm despite the two gate guardians in front of him that were seriously testing his patience. He had grown in his year and a half with the ex-Akatsuki members. His hair was slightly longer, his bangs now slightly covering his cerulean blue eyes without his headband, his whisker marks had grown darker and more pronounced ( **Like when he uses the Kyuubi's chakra.** ) due the constant presence of Kurama's chakra in his system over the last year and nine months, and he was no longer a scrawny pre-teen, that boy was replaced by the now 5' 8" young man with a handsome face and the body of a true genius of hard work. Baby fat had been replaced by lean, hard muscle that was toned and conditioned to perfection thanks to his physical training and conditioning with Kisame, his strength and endurance now virtually on par with the swordsman's. He wore a black haori ( **same style as the fourth Hokage's** ) with an orange cloud pattern reminiscent of the Akatsuki's and the kanji for brotherhood written on the back in orange as well. Underneath, he wore a light gray V-neck long sleeve shirt with mesh under-armor and dark gray pants with matching shinobi sandals. On the middle finger of his right hand he wore a red Akatsuki ring with the kanji for vermillion and on his left middle finger he wore a similar ring in yellow with the kanji for south. The most prominent aspect of his appearance, however, was the thick, tan strap that ran over his shoulder and diagonally down his chest that kept the large, bandaged zanbato with a small skull shaped pommel strapped to his back.

"Sir, I'm sorry but you are clearly no ordinary civilian and unless you agree to disarm, I can't let you into the village without a proper escort. Plus it doesn't help that you look like you could be a member of the Akatsuki." The guard explained for the tenth time.

"For the last time, one, I am not Akatsuki. I dress like this to honor my sensei, plus it's functional. Two, I will not disarm when I'm carrying one of the most valuable swords in the Elemental Nations. And three, if I need an escort then . . . GET ME A DAMN ESCORT!" Naruto shouted. _Dammit, it's like these morons are trying to piss me off. '_ _ **Calm down kit. You're here to join the village not brand yourself as their enemy for butchering two of their shinobi.**_ _' Well if these assholes would get out of my way we wouldn't have a problem._

"Excuse me but is there a problem here?" Naruto heard a feminine voice ask from somewhere off to the side.

Naruto turned to confront the woman, still irritated. "Yea there is. These two dumba- . . ." Naruto's statement fell short as he caught sight of the girl. She had long, straight, blonde, hair bound with taut bandages and dark brown eyes. She wore a short-sleeved black and purple blouse and black pants, both of which had a design similar to clouds on them, purple fingerless gloves and a chain of blue beads wound around her left hand. She also wore the standard Kumo forehead protector, sandals and kunai holster which was strapped to her right thigh. She also wore bandages around her arms and legs as well as a red belt around her waist. ( **That description was straight from the wikia so if it's not up to snuff then tough.** ) _Holy crap she is gorgeous. I think I'm gonna like it here with her around. '_ _ **Hmm, she smells . . . familiar . . . ah now I recognize that scent. It is the scent of my youngest sister, Matatabi, which makes her the Nibi jinchuuriki.**_ _' Whoa, she's like me? Now I definitely can't wait to get to know her better._ "Um sorry, these guys have just been getting on my nerves. I didn't mean to snap like that." He apologized while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

Yugito giggled at his quick change in demeanor. "It's fine, I can understand the frustration. You do seem to be in a hurry after all." She responded lightly. _He's funny and handsome. I hope he sticks around for a little while. I wouldn't mind getting to know him better. '_ _ **Listen up kitten, you're not gonna believe this.**_ _' What is it Tabi-chan? '_ _ **That boy is the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. I can smell Kurama-nii-san.**_ _' He's like me? Now I really hope he sticks around._ "Well . . . I couldn't help but overhear that you need an escort to the Raikage's office. I can take you there." She offered hopefully, excited to meet another jinchuuriki. Sure she's known Bee-sensei for most of her life but that's the point. It's nice to meet someone new every now and then.

Naruto fell to his knees and started bowing at Yugito's feet with anime tears streaming down his face. "Oh thank you, thank you so much, I've been here for three hours, and those two jackasses have been no help whatsoever!" He sobbed while pointing at the two gate guardians who just sweat dropped at his antics.

Yugito, however, didn't mind his actions and broke into a fit of giggles. "Ok, ok, you're welcome now get up, you're making a scene you knucklehead." She stated when her giggles died down.

"Sorry it's just nice to know SOMEONE," he shouted in the direction of the gate guards, "around here is helpful." He finished after turning back to his fellow blonde. "By the way, I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. What's your name, or should I just call you beautiful for the time being?" He asked flirtatiously.

Yugito blushed bright red. Usually she would have brushed any guy off that tried a line like that but for some reason she couldn't help but feel flattered by the complement. _What the heck is wrong with me? '_ _ **I know, you want to take a ride on the rippling stud muffin in front of you that's what.**_ _' How did I get stuck with such perverted bijuu?_ "Um . . . thank you but my name is Yugito, Yugito Nii." She managed to reply calmly before an idea struck her. "Though if you prefer beautiful than who am I to stop you, big boy." She quipped with a sultry smile while resting a hand on his chest, silently relishing in how hard it was ( **His chest, his chest is hard. Your minds shouldn't be that far in the gutter just yet** ).

Now it was Naruto's turn blush as he struggled to jumpstart his brain thanks to her close proximity. When he managed to get it together he refused to be outdone. He placed a hand lightly on her waist and leaned in right next to her ear. "Beautiful it is then." He whispered huskily into her ear and felt her shudder.

Yugito playfully slapped him on the chest before huffing and stomping away, failing miserably at staving off the smile that played on her lips.

Naruto chuckled good-naturedly before he jogged to catch up to her. "So Yugito-san, how's life for a jinchuurikihere in Kumo?" He asked, hoping he didn't actually piss her off since he didn't catch a glimpse of her smile.

She turned to him with a playful smirk. "Did the big bad Kyuubi mention little old me? I'm flattered. But seriously, Kumo is a more militarized village than most of the others so the people here have a better understanding of shinobi business, and by extension, our situation. There are always going to be a few who don't understand but most of them realize that we're the barriers that keep the beasts at bay. Of course that's not technically the case because Matatabi is one of my best friends and she would never try to break the seal. She cares about me and I care about her." She explained with a fond smile.

"Wow, that's nice. I wish I had it that good back in my old village. Though in a way, I guess it's a good thing that I didn't. If I did I wouldn't be here, I wouldn't have had two awesome sensei to train me into the ground over the last year and nine months. Plus I wouldn't be taking a lovely stroll with such a beautiful girl." He finished with a playful smirk.

Yugito half-heartedly elbowed him in the ribs and failed to fight down her grin. "You're a shameless flirt, you know that?" She asked rhetorically

Naruto just smirked and leaned in a little closer. "What can I say Miss Nii? You bring out the best in me."

"I'm not sure I would use the word 'best'." She quipped playfully.

Naruto clutched his chest over his heart in mock pain. "Oh how you wound me so my dear." He drawled.

At that point Yugito just started laughing at the blondes antics. They kept walking for a few more minutes carrying on their banter and greatly enjoying the other's company. They learned that they had a fair few things in common. Both were orphans growing up, both found parental figures that helped take care of them when they were younger, though to a greater extent in Yugito's case. Both had grown close to their respective bijuu. And both were happy that they made a new friend . . . and possibly something more.

(Raikage's office)

"You want what!?" Ay roared at the new blonde that had barged into his office like he own the place, like a certain annoying rapper.

"I said, I want to join Kumo's shinobi forces and make this village my new home." Naruto stated with a stupid grin on his face.

Yugito just stared at the blonde like he had four heads. She was happy that he wanted to stick around but the way he just blurted it out without the slightest ounce of respect for the Raikage was baffling to the kunoichi.

"And why the hell should I, gaki?" Ay growled, not liking this kid's careless attitude or who it reminded him of. Seriously, he sent Bee out of the village so he could get some piece and then the very next day someone just as disrespectful shows up to take his place. _At least he isn't rapping._

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze and I'm the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. Is that a good enough reason?" Naruto asked hiding his nerves behind the mask of stupid innocence he was so good at. He didn't really feel like throwing politics into the equation but he knew it would help speed up the process and the Raikage looked like the kind of guy he really didn't want to piss off too much.

". . . So, you're Namikaze's brat. Jinchuuriki too huh? Well I can't say it's not tempting but you need to prove yourself whelp." He pressed the intercom button on his desk. "Mabui, send Cee up here immediately, I have a task for him." "He's on his way up, Raikage-sama." A woman's voice responded over the intercom.

Shortly after a blonde haired man wearing a traditional Kumo jounin uniform entered the room. "Good day Raikage-sama, ah Yugito-chan it is good to see you, have you come to accept my proposal?" He asked with a look that got on Naruto's nerves for some reason.

"Firstly, don't call me that; secondly, no I didn't, nor will I ever. I was merely showing the way for my new friend Naruto-kun here." She responded with a scowl.

"Oh, and what's so special about this loser?" Cee asked with a smug grin pointed at Naruto.

"Keep talkin' like that and you're gonna find out." Naruto retorted with a vicious smirk.

Ay decided to interject at this point. "Actually that's what I called you up here for Cee. Naruto here want's to join Kumo's shinobi forces. You're here to test his abilities."

"Hmph, this kid wants to join up. I doubt I'll even break a sweat." Cee announced arrogantly.

"I'm gonna enjoy breaking you in half." Naruto stated while cracking his knuckles. He then turned and jumped out of the open window, followed by Yugito then Cee.

". . . WHY THE HELL CAN'T YOU USE THE DAMN DOOR!?" Ay roared before jumping out the window himself to witness the match.

Yugito led the other three to the closest training ground for the match. They arrived at a large flat area carved out into the side of the mountain. Naruto and Cee took up their starting positions at opposite ends of the field. "Last chance to back out kid. I don't plan on holding back." Cee declared confidently.

Naruto just snorted in response before grasping Samehada's handle and removing it from its place on his back. He flourished it around a few times before planting it in the ground in front of him. "I'm ready when you are."

"Very well. **Lightning Illusion: Flash Pillar**." A blinding light emanated from behind Cee, forcing Naruto to shield his eyes. When the light died out Naruto looked up to see that Cee was gone. _'_ _ **Kit, it's a genjutsu, dodge to the left then flare your chakra.**_ _' Right._ Naruto dodged to his left then flared his chakra as he was told. Reality seemed to shift around him as Cee came back into view. He noticed the ground where he was previously standing was scorched. _Probably whatever Kurama wanted me to dodge._ "Huh, I guess you weren't kidding about not holding back. I guess I won't either, he flashed through a quick set of handsigns then pulled Samehada from its spot in the ground. " **Water Style: Water Shark Frenzy**." A large pool of water formed underneath Cee's feet, showing off Naruto's evidently high water affinity. Dozens of water sharks shot up out of the pool and barreled into Cee, sending him flying into the air. Naruto quickly flashed through another set of handsigns, **Water Style: Explosive Bite of the Water Dragon** ". The pool of water on the ground and the residual water from the sharks rose into the air and formed a massive water dragon. The dragon clamped its maw down on Cee then dove straight into the ground shattering it and causing a massive splash. Cee just barely managed to climb back to his feet once the onslaught ended. Naruto then grabbed Samehada and charged at Cee with remarkable speed, starting with a horizontal slash. Cee managed to get his arms up and block the seemingly blunt blade with his forearms, the only reason he wasn't sent flying is that Naruto was holding back. He looked at Naruto with a victorious smirk only for it to fall upon seeing Naruto's own feral grin. Naruto pulled back on the sword, the bandages were shredded as blue spines that covered the length of the blade were exposed, said spines tearing some of the flesh of Cee's forearms in the process.

"AAAHHH! Dammit! What the hell was that!?" Cee asked as he used the **Mystic Palm Technique** to try and heal his wounds only to find himself rapidly fatiguing.

"What? You've never heard of Samehada? It doesn't cut its targets. It shreds them to ribbons. Oh and I'm sure your wondering why you're feeling so tired all of a sudden. Samehada also consumes the chakra of whoever it hits." Naruto explained with a smug grin.

"Samehada!? But I thought that sword belonged to Kisame Hoshigaki!" Ay shouted, trying to fathom how this brat got his hands on the strongest of the 7 Swords of Kiri. Ay already had every intention of recruiting the son of his late rival after he said jinchuuriki. He knew how the jinchuuriki were treated in this world so he took steps to teach his village the difference between a scroll and a kunai.

"Kisame Hoshigaki was one of my former sensei. When we concluded our training together, he asked me to take his life and my rightful place as his successor to wield Samehada. I didn't feel good about it after everything he did for me but it was his last wish. To leave this world that had disappointed him so much by the hand of someone he trusted." Naruto reminisced with a sad smile. As if sensing its master's sorrow, Samehada's form became flexible and it wrapped itself around Naruto, its spines flattened so it didn't hurt him, in the closest thing to a hug a sentient, chakra eating sword can manage.

Yugito giggled at the sight. It was touching that the last thing Naruto had to remember his sensei by was actively trying to comfort him. It only endeared Naruto that much more to her.

Once Naruto calmed down, Samehada returned to its combat form. "Ok, I've had enough of this fight so I'm just gonna end this now." Naruto stated with a tired smile.

"DON'T MOCK ME!" Cee roared, infuriated that the blonde before him would brush him off so easily.

Naruto didn't respond. He pumped chakra into his legs and jumped up into the air high above Cee. Naruto hefted Samehada over his head with one hand while the other went through a set of one handed signs. " **Water Style: Clinging Grand Whirlpool!** " A vortex of dense, rapidly spinning water wrapped around Samehada's blade and grew to massive proportion's before he swung it down right on top of a trembling Cee who was too tired and scared to move.

When the giant, violent whirlpool slammed into the ground it carved out a massive trench and formed what appeared to be a small pond before Naruto landed deftly on its surface.

Naruto turned and saw the Raikage covered in Lightning chakra with a terrified Cee cowering behind him. "So, do I make the cut?" Naruto asked with a cocky smirk.

Ay stared at the boy for a minute with an appraising look while Cee just looked on smugly, sure that the Raikage would want the boy's head for almost killing one of his jounin. After a few more seconds of staring, Ay bust a gut laughing his ass off. "AAAHAHAHAHAHA! That. Was by far. The most impressive display I've seen in sometime from someone not even using a bijuu." Cee looked infuriated as the Raikage tossed Naruto a black Kumo headband, though Ay paid no mind to his subordinate's wounded pride. "Now unfortunately, despite the skill you've shown here today, here in Kumo there are no shortcuts. You will start with the rank of genin and you will advance through the ranks just as anyone else. Now in lieu of your circumstances for being here I will be assigning you to Yugito's team. Your jounin sensei will be my brother Killer Bee. I originally assigned Yugito as his only charge so that he could focus on training her to control her bijuu, so they will be your only teammates. Also, Yugito has already signed up for this year's first chunin exam in three months and you will also be expected to compete alongside her now that you're a team. So I suggest spending these next few months getting to know each other better and working on your teamwork." Ay explained, fully aware that he just assembled what was probably the deadliest team on the continent.

"You have no idea how perfectly that works out for me. I have a bit of a score to settle with Konoha, you see." Naruto stated with a confident grin. Unknowingly rapping.

Ay and Yugito both flinched at the boy's unintentional rapping. "Well then, good. Now you have a week to work on your teamwork, then report to my office for your first mission as a team." Ay announced before flashing away to his office in a bolt of lightning with Cee in tow.

Yugito walked over to Naruto. "So . . . you wanna go get something to eat?" She asked hopefully, she enjoyed the time they had spent together this morning and wasn't quite ready to end it just yet.

Naruto looked at her and grinned. "Sure. Do you guys have ramen around here? I haven't had any in over a year and I could really use a fix." Naruto inquired hopefully.

Yugito giggled at his childishness. "Yea, there's a stand back in town. Follow me." She finished with a wink and bolted down the mountainside back towards the village with Naruto hot on her tail.

(At the ramen stand)

Yugito watched Naruto with a horrified expression. He had just downed his eighth bowl of ramen in less than two minutes and showed no signs of stopping. It was both disgusting and impressive. While this was going on the shopkeeper was crying tears of joy over his new favorite customer, the waterworks really cranked up when he was told that Naruto would be taking up permanent residence in the village.

". . . How can you eat that much ramen in one sitting?" Yugito asked, looking less disgusted and more awestruck by the second.

Naruto paused his inhaling of noodles and broth before sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry about my table manners, I haven't had ramen in over a year. As far as how, well . . . Ramen is the food of the gods and as such it must be enjoyed to godlike standards!" He explained with stars in his eyes as he looked to the heavens.

Yugito stared at him for a few seconds before breaking down into a fit of giggles. "You are so strange. You know that right?" She asked playfully once she calmed down.

"Am I now? Do you have a problem with strange, Yugi-chan?" He asked with a playful smirk.

She blushed slightly at his affectionate nickname for her but quickly fought it back down. "No, strange is more fun."

After they finished their meals, Yugito decided to show Naruto around the village.

"So Yugi-chan, what did that guy, what was his name Q, L, uh some kind of letter, mean when he asked you about his 'proposal' earlier?" Naruto asked curiously. He wasn't sure why he remembered it but he did know that he didn't like what the guy seemed to be implying.

Yugito grimaced at having to remember it. "His name is Cee and he meant exactly what he said. The prick has managed to delude himself into believing that a marriage between us would be beneficial to the village. Some crap about our kids ushering in a stronger next generation. And he can't seem to understand that that no will always be a no." She explained, looking more and more pissed off after each word. "The prick basically asked me if I wanted to be his personal breeding stock."

Naruto was seething. As far as he cared, what's-his-face, got off easy during their little scrap earlier. "I know you can handle yourself but if he bothers you again, let me know. I'll make sure he either understands the meaning of the word 'no' or loses the ability to reproduce entirely. Whichever happens first." Naruto growled. He didn't care if he just met Yugito this morning, she was important to him now. They shared a bond and a burden that few others could ever hope to understand. _And I'll be damned before I let some self-righteous prick make life any harder for her. Kumo might not be as bad as other villages for Jinchuuriki but that doesn't change what we seem like to the ones that don't understand. People will always fear what they don't understand._

Yugito looked at Naruto and blushed brightly from the sheer conviction and protectiveness in his voice. She should have felt insulted that he wanted to fight her battles for her but the fire in his eyes told her everything she needed to know; Naruto was the type of person that would charge head first into the gates of hell to protect someone he cared about. And after one day he had put her name on that list. "Thank you Naruto-kun. I really appreciate it." She replied softly with a warm smile.

Naruto just gave her a toothy grin.

(Later)

"Well, this is my house. ( **It's a damn house, I'm not going out of my way to describe it. Just picture a normal, one story, two bedroom, one bath, and full kitchen house.** ) Wait . . . Naruto you haven't found a place to stay yet have you?" She asked. She knew the answer because she had spent the whole day with him.

"No. I would stay at a hotel but I haven't had much time to go on missions for a while with all my training. Suffice it to say my funds are stretched pretty thin until I start getting payed. I was just gonna go find a nice spot to set up camp." Naruto explained with a nonchalant shrug.

Yugito mulled over the idea she was formulating in her head before making up her mind. "Well . . . you could stay here. I have an extra bedroom and you don't have to worry about rent. Raikage-sama bought this place for me when my parents died. The extra room was for the caretaker I had before I was old enough to look after myself. Plus I wouldn't mind the company." She suggested trying not to sound hopeful. She had lived by herself for a long time. And just because most people were more accepting of her of her 'condition' didn't mean they didn't tend to avoid her more often than not for fear of upsetting her. She didn't know anyone else she could've asked to move in with her. None of her other friends needed a place to stay and even though she had only known him for a day, she considered Naruto a good friend and someone she could trust.

Naruto was dumbfounded at Yugito's generosity, very few times had he ever experienced such kindness from anyone let alone someone he had known for all of one day. He quickly brushed a tear from his face before bowing and thanking her profusely for her kindness and friendship.

"Ok ok, calm down it's fine. Now I do have a few questions before we finalize anything." She stated with a serious tone.

"Shoot." He responded.

"Do you snore?"

"A little."

"Are you a sleep walker?"

"No."

"Are you a pervert?"

"No, I hate perverts."

" . . . Can you cook?" She asked hopefully. Personally she was horrible in the kitchen. She was so bad that once she almost burnt down the house just trying to boil some water to make noodles. To this day, no one was entirely sure how.

Naruto grinned and gave her a thumbs up. "Unlike you, I didn't have caretaker growing up so I learned pretty quick how to take care of myself." He stated confidently, not even sounding remotely bitter about his sordid past.

Yugito smirked and stuck out her hand. "Well then, welcome home roomy."

Naruto took her hand in his and gave it a firm shake. All of a sudden a sly smile formed on his lips and a mischievous glint twinkled in his eye. "You know Yugi-chan, isn't it a little early to be moving in together? I mean, we haven't even been on our first date yet." He teased.

"Oh, shut up." She scolded playfully before punching him in the stomach. She quickly regretted this decision when she found out his abs were hard as a rock.

Naruto just chuckled as she rubbed her hand. _I'm gonna love it here._

 **Follow, Favorite, Review, all are welcome.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sharkskin Legacy**

 **Hey guys I'm back with the next installment of Sharkskin Legacy. I'm sorry this chapter took so long, work has been a bitch lately. IMPORTANT NEWS, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING: I have decide to change this to a small harem story. It will be NarutoxYugitoxFuxHinata. I will take any harem addition suggestions into consideration and might just add them if I like them. If you are unhappy with this turn of events, I apologize. Now, without further ado, I OWN NOTHING!**

 **Chapter 2: Welcome (back) To Konoha**

"Um . . . Naruto-kun?" Yugito asked tentatively, fighting down her blush. She knew having a new housemate would come with its awkward moments but it was the first morning dammit!

Naruto looked at her lazily, still only half awake as he sat at their kitchen table eating some pancakes that he had made for the two of them. She still wasn't entirely sure how he managed to make them when he was barely conscious. The problem Yugito was having was due to the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt, having only slipped on a pair of pants since waking up. "What's up…*yawn*…Yugi-chan?"

Yugito gave him an irritated scowl, she wasn't angry per say. She was just having some issues concentrating on the mission scroll the Raikage sent via messenger hawk earlier that morning. After all, she is a warm blooded female and seeing the fruits of her new friend's training was seriously testing the limits of her ability to focus. _Seriously it has to be illegal to look that good. It's like he's carved out of granite! '_ _ **You're telling me, Kitten. If you don't jump that man soon, I'm takin' over and doin' it for you!**_ _' Seriously, you're such a pervert. Buuut…no, bad Yugito, he's your friend and he's been here all of a day. Though, if our friendship becomes something more along the way… '_ _ **Then you get to take that hunk for a ride.**_ _' Dammit Tabi-chan!_ "Nothing. Don't worry about it." She dismissed.

Naruto, after waking up some, noticed the internal discussion she was having, having had many himself. "So, what did the mighty Matatabi have to say about me?" He asked with a smirk.

Yugito blushed bright red. She had an irritated look on her face and her right eye twitched slightly before she turned away from him. "Shut up." She mumbled angrily, having no intentions whatsoever of describing Matatabi's insinuations to him.

Naruto contemplated teasing her further, knowing full well of Matatabi's perverse nature thanks to Kurama but decided against it. He took notice of the mission scroll she was reading over and figured he should get some information on their first mission as a team. "So what's Raikage-sama got for us? Anything interesting?"

Yugito snapped out of her musings. "Oh, um let's see. According to this scroll the Chunin Exams are being held in three months' time in Konoha. That being said, for some reason the Hokage is having the invitations sent out personally by Genin squads as opposed to messenger hawks. Our mission is to intercept them at the border and retrieve the invitation to assure they don't try anything funny by moving any further into the Land of Lightning." She explained professionally.

"What? That's it!? Oh come on that's so boring." He whined, hoping to get to some real action.

Yugito sighed at his childishness. "Look, Bee-sensei still isn't back from his mission yet so we won't be receiving any major assignments until he returns. What I can't figure out is why the Hokage would send out emissaries instead of just using messenger hawks." She pondered out loud.

Naruto considered this for a moment. "Hmm, maybe it's cause of me." He suggested.

"Care to elaborate?" She asked curiously.

"Well I didn't exactly leave the village on the best terms. And considering who was training me all this time, I wouldn't be surprised if he kept track of me for at least some amount of time. If I had to guess he's probably sending out the messengers to keep an eye out for me in any of the attending villages." He explained.

Yugito thought about it for a moment before realizing that it did make sense. After all Naruto told her himself that he and the Sandaime Hokage were close. "So, should we bring this information to Raikage-sama? I'm sure that he would be willing to assign us a different mission." She suggested, unsure of how Naruto feels about this situation.

"There's no point. Konoha's gonna discover my allegiance anyways at the exams. Don't worry they won't try anything other than maybe trying to convince me to come back depending on who we run into. Kumo and Konoha are on rocky ground as is and I know the old man won't risk ruining the current neutrality between them because of me." He responded nonchalantly.

"Well then, let's get ready and head out."

(2 Hours Later at the border)

Yugito and Naruto had been waiting at the border for two hours now and there was still no sign of the messengers from Konoha. With their free time they decided to get to know each other's skills a little better. Yugito learned that Naruto's elemental affinities were wind and water but Naruto didn't know any wind style due to his sensei's lack of knowledge. However, he had quite an extensive collection of water style jutsu to go with his high water affinity that she witnessed during his fight with Cee. She also learned of his proficiency in taijutsu and kenjutsu as well. Naruto learned that Yugito had an affinity for fire and that Matatabi's chakra augment's her fire style ninjutsu. She could also use some special fire style ninjutsu that Tabi-chan taught her. He also learned that her taijutsu is exceptional since she can grow elongated claws to augment her attacks.

After a few more minutes Naruto detected something.

"Hold up, I got a scent. Smells like…cigarette smoke, flowers, and barbeque. There's only one team I know that could pull off that combination." He stated in exasperation, hoping he wouldn't have to run into someone he knew. "Ok Yugi-chan, they're heading our way, about one kilometer to the west moving through the trees. You move to halt their advance, I'll cover their flanks. **Shadow Clone Jutsu!** " Naruto made twenty shadow clones and sent them to their positions while Yugito moved into her own.

After about five minutes of waiting, Yugito spotted the Leaf messengers heading straight for her position. ( **It's Team 10: Asuma, Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino. I'm not going to describe them. You should all know what they look like. Right now they look how they do in Shippuden.** ) Yugito jumped down from her position right in the way of the Leaf team just after they crossed the border.

"Halt! State your names, ranks, and business in the Land of Lightning." She ordered calmly.

The oldest of the group stepped forward. "Hello. My name is Asuma Sarutobi, Jounin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. This is my genin team: Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka, and Choji Akimichi. We are here to deliver the Raikage's invitation to the upcoming chunin exams." Asuma stated calmly.

"I see. And for what particular reason are the invitations being hand-delivered this time around? Surely a messenger hawk would be much more efficient." Yugito inquired.

"I guess Pops just wanted to do something different this time around." He answered with a smirk.

"I suppose. Well then, on to business. Please hand over the invitation and I will ensure that it reaches Raikage-sama as soon as possible." She announced.

Asuma frowned. "I'm sorry Miss but we are under direct orders from the Hokage to personally make sure this invitation reaches the Raikage. Surely you can understand?" He replied, hoping to placate her through her sense of duty.

"No, I'm afraid I don't understand. It's merely a simple invitation. The fact that it's being hand delivered at all is suspicious enough. And yet you expect me to simply allow four Leaf shinobi to waltz straight into the Raikage's office to personally ensure that it reaches his hands. I'm no fool and neither is the Raikage, you would do well to remember that. Now. Why. Are. You. Here?" She asked in a tone that demanded cooperation.

Asuma sighed. He knew it wouldn't be this easy. "I'm sorry Miss but we're just here to complete our mission. Allow us to do so and we will be on our way." He ordered in his own no-nonsense tone.

Now it was Yugito's turn to sigh. "Then it appears we are at an impasse. I am Yugito Nii, genin of the Village Hidden in the Clouds and I am under direct orders from the Yondaime Raikage to relieve you of that invitation and bar you from venturing any further into the Land of Lightning." She stated confidently.

Asuma was about to respond when another voice called out, seemingly from nowhere.

"Alright just shut up already. Geez all this squabbling is getting on my nerves. Look Asuma-san, the fact is that you are currently outside your own jurisdiction which means that you are to comply with our orders or we will escort you back across the border, by force if necessary."

Every member of team ten stared in shock and disbelief as Naruto suddenly appeared on the branch next to Asuma.

"You wouldn't want to cause an international incident now would you Asuma-san?" He asked with a cheeky grin.

Asuma wasn't sure how to react to actually finding the blonde knucklehead. He was mad that Naruto abandoned the village but he had heard Naruto's side of the story from Kakashi. He knew that Sasuke was arrogant and self-absorbed but to go as far as sacrificing a comrade for his own benefit, well…that's always a hard pill to swallow.

While Asuma was lost in his musings, the ever kindhearted Choji decided to catch up with his old buddy. "Naruto! Good to see you man. How you been?"

Naruto turned his attention towards his old friends. "Choji, Shikamaru it's great to see you guys. Hell it's even good to see you too Ino. I'm doing great Choji, I found a new home and a new friend here in Kumo. I actually just got here yesterday but I'm all set for the exams in three months. Yugito-chan here is my teammate."

"Geez Naruto, troublesome as always." Take a guess.

(20 Minutes Later. **Couldn't think of anything interesting to fill the conversation.** )

"Well then I guess we'll be seein' ya at the exams. Though I wouldn't expect a warm welcome from everyone. Especially the villagers, but I don't have to tell _you_ that." Asuma stated with a friendly grin, happy to see that the knucklehead was at least doing well after all this time. He saw why his father cared for the blonde so much.

After chatting and catching up for a few more minutes, Team Asuma handed over the invitation. The true objective of their mission having been completed; they then proceeded to make their way home.

As they watched them leave Yugito spoke up. "So how do you feel? You know, seeing them again."

"I'm not homesick if that's what you're asking. It was good seeing them again. Choji, Shikamaru, and I have been friends since our academy days. Ino…well to be honest, she was always an annoying fangirl. But it seems like she's grown out of it. She didn't even mention _him_ once." Naruto answered calmly.

"Him?" She asked curiously.

"…Oh that's right. I never got around to telling you exactly why I left the Leaf Village in the first place did I?"

And so Naruto explained the circumstances of his appearance in Kumo to Yugito. Yugito was furious at how Naruto was treated by the village and his team, she didn't blame him one bit for leaving.

"What about the friends you did have? Do you miss them?" She asked nervously, she didn't want him to have a change of heart at the exams and stay in Konoha. He may have only been there a day but that was all it took for Naruto to become an important person to her.

"Not really. I mean most of the friends I did have would've understood why I left. Even if they didn't know about Kurama, they still saw how the villagers treated me. The only one I'm worried about is Hinata." He stated.

"Who's Hinata?" She questioned, feeling somewhat jealous. _I have no reason to be jealous. Naruto-kun isn't mine._ _ **'Yet. Hehehe.'**_ _Dammit Tabi-chan._

"Hinata is a good friend. She actually had a crush on me before I left, that's why I'm worried about her; I'm not sure how she took it. I never told her I knew how she felt because she was always so shy and timid. If anything did happen between us, I would've been dancing on eggshells the entire time, afraid that I might say or do the wrong thing and damage her already rock bottom self-confidence. Don't get me wrong she was a sweet girl, she always encouraged me to do my best and never give up because I had always done the same for her. I always planned on asking her out at some point but I wanted to wait until she became more confident in who she is. Guess I won't be able to now huh?" He explained.

"…Yeah, I guess. We should probably start heading back." She stated with a confident smile, even she could tell that Naruto cared for the girl more than he himself understood. But that didn't mean she was just going to step aside and forget about her own feelings.

The two made their way home in silence before delivering the invitation to the Raikage.

(One Week Later)

"So…you're Bee-sensei?" Naruto asked nervously, starting to see why everyone acted so…strange in regards to the man.

"Yes that would be me, the mighty Killer Bee." He rapped.

Naruto just stared at the bizarre man before him, unsure of how to respond.

Yugito, understanding his situation, leaned over and whispered to him. "You'll get used to him, trust me."

Naruto leaned in as well, not taking his eyes off of their sensei. "Are you sure?" He asked skeptically.

Bee just sweat dropped at their exchange. "You know, just cuz you say it quietly doesn't mean I can't hear it, you see. Whatever, now it's time to show me just how far you've come gaki."

Naruto stared blankly at him before turning to Yugito. "Uh can I get a translation here?" He asked, completely stumped while Bee face faulted. In his moment of weakness, Yugito slapped a super sticky explosive tag over his mouth so he couldn't start rapping for fear of blowing his head off.

Yugito sighed in exasperation, having been in Naruto's shoes before. "He wants to know how far along you are with controlling Kurama's chakra."

"Oh, well why didn't he just say so in the first place? Anyways, I can handle about six tails worth of power before it starts harming me." He explained calmly.

Though something unexpected happened, Bee and Yugito just stared at him like Kurama's head sprouted from his shoulder.

Yugito recovered first. "Six tails, harming you; what are you talking about?"

Now it was Naruto's turn to be confused. "What do you mean what am I talking about?"

"You and Kurama are friends so why is his chakra harming you?" She asked, still thoroughly confused.

"Kurama's chakra is infused with all of his hate and rage so it's practically toxic. I removed a small piece the seal to create a link between the two of us almost 2 years ago. In that time his chakra has been seeping into my chakra network and building my tolerance to his chakra but I can't seem to go past six tails without the seal weakening." He explained his understanding of his own situation.

"But if you and Kurama are truly working together then his hatred shouldn't be affecting you. Unless something is limiting your ability to truly synchronize with him." She pondered.

Suddenly Kurama came to a realization.

' _ **THE SEAL! It's the seal dammit! How could I have not figured it out!?'**_ _Ah! Dammit! Don't scream in my head like that. What do you mean the seal?_ _ **'Don't you get it Kit? The seal is preventing you from freely manifesting and manipulating my chakra.'**_ _But I thought it was just my body's tolerance to your chakra that was the problem._ _ **'No that is merely a loophole for me to assist you. In order for us to truly become one on the battlefield, the seal must be unlocked.'**_

"Guys I think I have an explanation." Naruto announced.

Yugito and Bee snapped out of their pondering for an explanation, not that finding an answer would have done Bee any good due to his inability to talk at the moment.

"Kurama explained to me that the seal is preventing me from freely manipulating his chakra like the two of you can. My father was the second greatest seal master of his generation, second only to my mother, so it would make sense that my seal is more complicated than both of yours'. It probably has several functions and failsafe's in place to prevent Kurama from escaping." He paused, contemplating something. Yugito and Bee just watched him curiously to see what he would come up with. After a few minutes he snapped his fingers in realization.

"You come up with something?" Yugito asked curiously.

Naruto smiled as a shadow clone appeared next to him, showing off his mastery of the jutsu. "Yep. I'm gonna have Naruto number 2 over here channel some of Kurama's chakra so that I can analyze the seal."

Yugito was intrigued to find out that her friend was knowledgeable about sealing. "When did you learn how Fuinjutsu works?" She asked curiously.

"Three months before I got here I visited the ruins of Uzushiogakure in the Land of Whirlpools. After searching for a while I stumbled upon a vault with a blood seal that specifically required Uzumaki blood to unlock. Once I got inside, I found the Uzumaki clan's entire collective knowledge on the art of sealing. I figured since I stumbled onto such an amazingly rare find that I should learn the art of my people. And so a few days and a few hundred shadow clones later, I became a seal master." He stated matter-of-factly.

Yugito sweat dropped at how casual he was being about mastering probably the most complex form of jutsu. "Glad to see it didn't go to your head."

When the seal appeared on the clone's stomach, Naruto set about studying every single detail. After about 20 minutes of studying he dispelled the clone and addressed his team.

"Ok I have good news and bad news." He stated cheerfully.

Yugito, who had been pointedly ignoring Bee's attempts at begging her to remove the explosive tag, looked to Naruto. "So what's the good news?" She asked.

"The good news is, I know what the problem is. Turns out my seal was designed with a key. So I can't just break the seal. If I did that then Kurama would be forced out of my body and I would die." He stated with a cheerful grin hoping no one would call him out on the fact that he's been unknowingly trying to kill himself for almost 2 years.

Yugito thought about calling him on it but decided against it. "Let me guess, the bad news is that you have no clue where the key is." She suggested jokingly. However, upon seeing his cheerful grin drop and his shoulders drop in defeat she could tell she hit the nail on the head. "Oh. Well then."

"Yep, I could probably make a copy of the original key but it would be nothing but trial and error. Also, I'm not sure what would happen if I did it wrong then tried to unlock the seal with the wrong key, and I don't wanna find out so we'll call that plan B in case I we don't actually find the real key. Other than that, I never found out much about my parents' personal lives so I have no idea who my dad might have given it to. The only person I can think of that might have it is Jiji but that's just because he's the only person I know that I'm sure had some connection with my dad." He explained in a depressed tone. He wasn't overly fond of talking about the dead parents he never met and adding the fact that he knows next to nothing about them wasn't helping.

"Oh quit moping already! When we get to Konoha for the Chunin Exams, you can got tell the Hokage you know everything and demand some answers." Yugito exclaimed confidently. She had never seen Naruto all down and depressed before and decided that she didn't like it.

Naruto perked up at his friend's confidence. "You're right. So let's get training so we can take those exams by storm!" _And I can make that bastard pay for what he did to me._

(3 Months Later. **After several miscellaneous training sessions and missions that would just be a waste of time to write.** )

Three figures stood just outside the gates Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Naruto stared at the massive gate with an unreadable expression. Yugito, picking up on his mixed feelings, got his attention.

"You ready for this?" She asked tentatively.

Naruto's passive expression morphed into his signature feral grin that always sent a pleasant little shiver down her spine. "Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun." He announced before making his way to the eternal gate guardians Izumo and Kotetsu. Izumo appeared to be half asleep and Kotetsu had his nose buried in a familiar orange book. Naruto stared at the two of them for a few seconds before making his presence known.

"Hey guys, long time no see. I hope things didn't get too boring without me around here." He stated with the biggest shit-eating grin he could manage, which considering the situation wasn't too hard.

Kotetsu lazily looked up from his book to address the visitors. "Welcome to Konoha please state your name and…and…Naruto?" His book fell from his hands, dropping it out of pure shock.

Izumo perked up at hearing the name of the lovable blonde idiot who used to pull the funniest pranks on the village. "Naruto? What are you…?" He trailed off as his gaze followed Kotetsu's and landed on a familiar, if not older and more mature, face. "Naruto it is you!"

"Well you haven't tried to kill me yet so that's a good sign." Naruto sighed in relief.

Izumo seemed confused by his statement. "Kill you? Naruto, Hokage-sama never issued a warrant for your arrest or execution. The civilian council tried to have one issued several times but the Hokage and the shinobi council adamantly refused." He explained.

Naruto was baffled. "What? But why?"

Kotetsu decided to answer. "Since you're no longer a citizen of Konoha, Hokage-sama no longer had to play by the council's rules in regards to you. It's surprising how easily he could protect you from them outside the village as opposed to inside. Though there was a slight hiccup about a year ago even though ultimately it backfired."

"What kind of hiccup?" Naruto asked warily.

"Well the civilian council thought that if the entire populace of Konoha knew the truth about your 'condition' then they might get enough support to overrule the Hokage." Izumo explained.

"Well how did it backfire?" Naruto questioned.

Kotetsu smirked. "Hokage-sama beat them to it. And he explained your situation the correct way. Suffice it to say, after hearing the real truth behind you and your tenant and having the difference between a scroll and a kunai practically spoon fed to them, a lot of people around here have changed their opinion of you and don't blame you for leaving in the slightest considering how they treated you."

"And what about attacking the teme?" He asked.

"Uchiha? Kakashi reported that you had already renounced Konoha before you attacked him, less than that bastard deserved if you ask me, and now you're allied with another village so technically you avoided treason for attacking a comrade. After all the last thing Konoha needs is to get into it with Kumo, we're barely on neutral ground with you guys as is." Izumo finished his explanation.

Naruto was thrown by that little side comment regarding Sasuke. "What do you mean less than the bastard deserved? What has he been up to since I left?"

Kotetsu shook his head. "Look as much as I'd love to sit here all day and shoot the shit with you we need to get back to our duty. If you want to know more about Uchiha ask someone else. Here are your visitors' passes. The exams start in one week. Feel free to use that time however you choose. Have a nice day."

Before Naruto could press further for answers Kurama spoke up.

' _ **Kit there are Anbu en-route to your location. Most likely intending to take you to the Hokage. If you wish to avoid them, now is the time to do so.'**_ _Thanks Kurama. I'm not quite ready to face Jiji just yet._

Naruto turned to address his team. "Ok, Kurama just informed me that a squad of Anbu are on their way here to take me to the Hokage, so if you could just throw them off of my scentthatwouldbegreatthanksgottagobye!" He spouted quickly before breaking into a full on sprint into the village.

Yugito's eye twitched a few times in anger. "NARUTOOOOOOO!"

(With Naruto)

"Hehe sorry guys but I want to have a look around first before Jiji gets a hold of me" He said to himself as he made his way through the village, growing uncomfortable from the whispers and remorseful looks that he was getting. A few people even came right up to him and apologized. _Looks like a lot has changed around here. I wonder how the rest of the Rookie Nine are doing. I guess it's the rookie eight now huh?_

"YO BLONDIE, LOOK OUT!" Naruto was snapped out of his musing by a distinctly feminine voice coming from behind him. He turned around to find its source only to see a white and green blur crash into him at high speed. The two tumbled for a few meters before Naruto found himself in an interesting position.

"Ugh…my head." Naruto groaned as the pain subsided. He opened his eyes only to freeze. Mere inches from his face was the face of a tan-skinned girl with short mint green hair and beautiful orange eyes. "Um…hey." He said lamely.

A dark blush stained the girl's cheeks as she noticed her straddling position and proximity to the extremely attractive guy below her as she stared into his cerulean blue eyes. "Hey…sorry about that." She offered, equally as lame.

Naruto recovered from his stupor, not regretting keeping Samehada in a storage seal on his hand in the slightest. If he had landed on it instead of his back, this situation would've been much less comfortable. "Eh don't worry about. I'm sturdier than I look. Besides who am I to complain when a cute girl lands on top of me?" He stated cheekily.

The girl's blush intensified from his complement. She was about to speak up when they both heard another shout from behind them. "THERE SHE IS! GET BACK HERE!"

The girl sighed in annoyance. "Sorry blondie but it looks like we have to cut this short if I'm gonna get away from my team. Catch you later!" She yelled as she had already dismounted him and started running further into the village.

Naruto just laid there staring up at the clouds, unable to get the image of the mystery girl out of his head. He closed his eyes and just pondered to himself why she seemed so familiar, not even caring that he was still laying on the ground in the middle of the street.

After a few more minutes he heard footsteps growing closer to him. He knew they weren't Anbu or a threat otherwise Kurama would've alerted him.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes? It's been a while, eh Naruto-kun?" A light feminine voice spoke out to him.

 _Wait a minute I know that voice, but I can't place it._ He thought to himself as his brow furrowed in confusion.

"You know if you stay down there too long you might get stepped on." The girl said teasingly as she prodded his side a few times with, what he assumed was, her foot.

All of a sudden the image of a shy bluenette with pale lavender eyes flashed through his head and his eyes shot open. Looking down at him was a beautiful long dark blue haired girl with short bangs covering her forehead and two long bangs framing her face. She was wearing ( **Her shinobi gear from The Last. This story involves a stronger, more confident Hinata. You'll find out why shortly.** ) But her most distinguishing features were her pale lavender eyes that reminded him of the full moon on a dark night.

"H-Hinata?" He asked.

Hinata mock pouted at him. "Oh no. It seems you caught my old stutter Naruto-kun." She stated before releasing a light fit of giggles.

Naruto was awestruck. _She hasn't blushed or stuttered once, hell_ she's _teasing_ me _. And was she always this beautiful? Gah! What am I thinking this is Hinata, but still._ "It really is you." He said, still a little stupefied.

A warm smile lit up Hinata's face. "The one and only. Now would you like to get up? Looking down at you like this is starting to bother my neck." She said playfully.

Naruto just nodded dumbly before standing.

Hinata blushed slightly when she noticed that he was almost a head taller than herself. _Great. I fell in love with his personality and now he looks like a god. So much for thinking I might be over him._ "So "Kumo huh? You do remember that Kumo was the village that tried to kidnap me as a child, right?" She asked him, pretending to be upset with him to see his reaction. Truthfully, she knew the ones who kidnapped her were radicals attempting to garner favor with the Raikage to further their own rank.

Naruto started freaking out. "Oh crap! Hinata I'm so sorry! I didn't even-." He was cut off by the sound of Hinata trying to stifle her laughter. "Hey! You were messing with me!" He exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her.

Hinata couldn't hold it anymore. She broke down into a fit of laughter. "Hahahahaha, yes I'm afraid I was Naruto-kun. I'm sorry but I just couldn't resist." She said in between giggles.

Naruto couldn't help but think that her laughter was one of the most amazing things he had ever heard. _She's changed so much._ "Geez, teasing, laughing, not stuttering; who are you and what have you done with Hinata?" He joked.

She just smiled. "You like? After you left I came to realize a few things. You always encouraged me to do my best and work hard to achieve my goals. You told me to be more confident in myself and to never give up. Just like I always believed in you, you believed in me. But until you left, I never really tried to change. Yeah, I got a little stronger and a little more confident. But when you left everything was really put into perspective. Without you around to encourage me, I noticed how little I had actually changed. And with that realization, I resolved to better myself. I trained endlessly and I became strong. And with that strength came confidence. I stopped bowing my head to my father's cruelty. I stood up to the elders who have doubted me and belittled me my whole life just because I was kindhearted. And I can honestly say that I've never felt better about myself. I've never felt so…free." She stated with more confidence than Naruto ever expected to see from her.

Naruto was awestruck by not only her words but the conviction behind them as well. "Wow Hinata. It's good to see how happy you are with the new you." He said with a warm smile.

Hinata blushed slightly at his expression. Just because she's more confident doesn't mean that she isn't still in love with him. "Though because of this, I became a black sheep. My father decided to make my little sister, Hanabi, the clan heiress. The only reason that I haven't been branded with the caged bird seal yet is because I threatened to tell the Hokage the true extent of the curse mark's function." She explained.

"And that would be?" He inquired.

"The caged bird seal, as far as the Hokage knows, seals the bearer's eyes upon death so that the Byakugan can't be stolen from a dead Hyuga. What Hokage-sama doesn't know is that this is only one of its functions. ( **I'm sure the Hokage does know the full extent of the seal's functions in canon but for the sake of my story, he is unaware.** ) Its main purpose is and always has been the total subservience and practical enslavement of the branch family. If a branch member steps out of line a main house member can activate the seal. Once activated it begins destroying the bearer's brain cells and if left active long enough, the bearer dies." She explained with a scowl. Angered by just how cruel her clan really is.

"Wow, that's fucked up." He stated so eloquently. "But I don't see how the Hokage could do anything about it. Konoha law states that, in exchange for their cooperation, the Hokage is not allowed to meddle in clan affairs."

Hinata smirked deviously. "While that is true, there is one discrepancy. The Hokage is forbidden to interfere in clan affairs _unless_ said clan affair poses an active threat to any citizen of Konoha, shinobi and civilian alike." She explained.

Naruto was still a little lost. "I'm still not seeing what you're getting at."

"I'd say having a cursed seal branded onto your forehead that puts your life at the mercy of the whims of any pompous main house member counts as a fairly active threat." She stated matter-of-factly.

Naruto thought on it for a moment before he realized that she had a point. However before he could voice any thoughts a black and brown blur landed between Naruto and Hinata. A fist was launched at Naruto's head and it almost made contact…almost. Having spent nearly two years training with a Sharingan master, his reaction time had become nearly inhuman. In the split second before the punch hit him he regained his bearings and jumped backwards. Now having the chance to observe his attacker, he was shocked by who he saw, though not overly so. _That damn mutt never was the sharpest kunai in the bunch._ Naruto was staring at none other than Hinata's own teammate, Kiba Inuzuka.

Kiba looked over his shoulder at his teammate. "Hinata, are you ok? How could you let the enemy get so close to you!?" He then turned to Naruto. "Stay away from Hinata you damn traitor." He snarled.

Hinata was fuming at her comrade's actions. "Kiba what the hell is wrong with you!? Naruto-kun and I were just catching up and having a nice conversation!"

Naruto was annoyed but he knew some people wouldn't take his abandonment so well. "Geez, if this is how you're gonna act dog breath, then you can piss off cuz I don't feel like dealing with you." He bit out angrily.

Kiba growled. "Just shut up loser. I could kick your ass before you left and I'm ten times stronger than I was back then. I could crush you traitor so stay the hell away from Hinata or else."

Naruto scoffed. "Hah, you couldn't touch me if I let you mutt. Now where's the smart half of your brain? What was his name again? Oh yeah, Akamaru! Where are you buddy!?" Naruto called out, only to mock Kiba.

Kiba was pissed. "Grrr. That's it, time to take out the trash, I don't need Akamaru's help for this." Kiba prepared to attack until Hinata put herself between him and Naruto.

"That's enough Kiba! Are you trying to get us disqualified from the exams!?" Hinata asked, growing even more pissed when she realized that he was about to attack.

" **Tunneling Fang!** " Kiba roared as he took on the appearance of a violent tornado and flew straight at Naruto, going around Hinata.

Naruto stared down the oncoming attack with a look of boredom. He quickly flashed through a series of handsigns. " **Water Style: Water Wall!** " A swirling ring of water materialized on the ground around Naruto before expanding upwards into a violent cyclone.

Kiba's attack collided with Naruto's jutsu, the two grinding against each other. After a few seconds, Kiba's spin died out, at the same the water cyclone dissipated revealing Naruto holding Samehada, arm cocked back and aiming its tip straight at Kiba who was still stranded in mid-air. Unable to dodge, Kiba's eyes widened in fear as Naruto lunged forward and thrust the tip of the massive blade straight into Kiba's gut. Kiba, expecting to feel the sword piercing his stomach, was surprised as he was sent flying and consequently tumbling harshly down the street from the sheer blunt force of the attack. He went into a coughing fit, clutching his stomach in gut wrenching ( **Literally** ) pain, and finding it extremely difficult to breath.

Before Naruto could even utter the words to mock Kiba any further a squad of Anbu appeared in formation around Naruto, swords drawn. An Anbu with long purple hair and a cat mask spoke up. "Naruto Uzumaki, We have been sent here to escort you to the Hokage's office immediately." She spoke in a neutral tone.

Naruto resealed Samehada before he started snickering.

"Don't you mean…Namikaze-sama?"

 **And done. Please read and review. I mean it. I love reviews. They make me happy.**


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